Ocean County, New
Jersey Resource Page.
As a New Jersey Contractor, we have found that throughout
the years the following list of Ocean County Resources have come in
handy during may facets of our construction business. So if you are
looking at a project that includes
construction of a:
New Home, Detached Garage, Room Addition, Porch, Patio, Deck, Screen
Enclosure, Driveway, Sidewalk or maybe your looking at a Complete Renovation
or Restoration project these links could be an invaluable resource to your
construction project. Ocean County New Jersey Resource List provided here by New Jersey Contractor.
An Overview of Ocean County, New Jersey.
Ocean County is located in the Atlantic
Coastal Plain in central New Jersey. The County is the second largest in the
State in terms of size and one of four New Jersey counties which border the
Atlantic Ocean. Toms River, in Dover Township, serves as the County Seat and is
centrally located within Ocean County. The County is in close proximity to
two of the Nation's largest metropolitan centers, New York City
approximately 60 miles to the north and Philadelphia roughly 50 miles to the
west. In addition, Atlantic City is located approximately 50 miles to the
south of the County Seat. These metropolitan areas are easily accessible to
Ocean County via several major highways, as shown on the Regional Location
Map.
Although Ocean County has been settled since colonial times, its presence as
a separate political entity is of relatively recent origin. The County was
created from lands divided from Monmouth County in 1850. For much of its
early history, the County was a rural, agricultural and fishing center.
During the latter part of the 1800's and through the 1900's, the resort
industry of the New Jersey Shore was developed, and the commercial
activities associated with seasonal resorts quickly became the County's
economic mainstay.
In the early 1950's, there began a nationwide trend towards suburbanization
as people moved outward from the older urban centers into previously
sparsely populated or rural areas. The opening of the Garden State Parkway
in 1954 permitted access to a large amount of undeveloped and inexpensive
land within commuting distance of the labor markets of New York and northern
New Jersey. The County also became a desired location for people who wanted
to retire away from the more industrial areas to the north. A primarily
rural County with a population of 37,675 in 1940, the County's population
increased to 433,200 persons by 1990. As evidenced by each of the decennial
Censuses during this fifty year period, Ocean County was the fastest growing
county in the State. Almost all of this growth was due to in- migration,
rather than the natural increase of the population.
Development in Ocean County has traditionally occurred along the coastal
beaches and in the corridor formed by the Garden State Parkway and US Route
9. Major interchanges along the Garden State Parkway have encouraged
development along east-west corridors, such as County Routes 526 and 528;
State Highway 37 and State Highway 72. Interstate 195 is a relatively new
highway which is playing an increasing role in the development of the
northern portion of the County. The Interstate provides direct access to the
major employment areas of Trenton, the State Capitol, to the west and
Monmouth County to the northeast.
With the growing year round population, Ocean County's economic base has
become increasingly diverse, with a variety of industries now supplementing
traditional tourist related businesses. The growth in employment
opportunities within Ocean County is now becoming as notable as the
population growth was in the recent past. Over the last ten years, Ocean
County has had one of the fastest increases in new jobs in the State. The
Health Care Industry has been by far the fastest growing employment sector
and is now the top employer in the County. Employment projections released
by the NJ Department of Labor show that Ocean County will continue to be at
the forefront of New Jersey employment growth well into the next decade.
Despite the large growth in population and employment, Ocean County
maintains a vast amount of protected open space which will ensure the
balanced land use of the area in the future. Much of the area west of the
Garden State Parkway contains large tracts of State Parks, Forests and
Wildlife Management Areas. In addition, approximately 20,000 acres east of
the Parkway are protected under the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife
Refuge. The Barnegat Bay and Little Egg Harbor, which stretch nearly the
entire north-south length of the County, were recently added to the US
National Estuary Program and will be the subject of continuing environmental
protection efforts. In the northwest portion of the County, active farmland
is being preserved through the County Farmland Preservation Program. To
date, over 1,580 acres of productive farmland have been preserved just
outside of New Egypt, in Plumsted Township. In addition, the Ocean County
Parks Department maintains an active capital program for parkland
acquisition and development to ensure that a variety of recreation
opportunities are in close proximity to residents throughout Ocean County.
As always, the coastal beaches of Ocean County are foremost among the
County's attractions and continue to draw thousands of seasonal visitors to
the area each year.
A History of Ocean County, New Jersey.
In the mid-1800s, Joel Haywood, a Methodist minister and former state
assemblyman from West Creek in what is now Eagleswood, believed that the
citizens in the southern part of Monmouth County — now Ocean County — were
being treated unfairly by the county Board of Freeholders.
Dominated by Democrats, the board seemed to favor the more affluent northern
part of the county. As a member of the Whig Party (soon to be succeeded by
today’s Republican Party), Haywood and Whig freeholders from lower Monmouth
County wanted more funds for public works and other expenses of their towns.
So in 1849, Haywood wrote a letter asking the state Legislature to make the
lower part of Monmouth a separate county. Based on his letter, the Assembly
passed legislation to create a county extending from the Manasquan Inlet to
the southern tip of Long Beach Island.
Introduced in the Senate by William G. Hooper, a friend of Haywood’s and a
fellow Whig, the bill passed by one vote. On Feb. 15, 1850, the governor
signed the charter creating Ocean County, New Jersey’s 20th county.
Toms River, the largest village in the area, was chosen to be the county
seat. Haywood had been elected to the Assembly in 1842, and in 1850, he was
elected again to the lower house to represent the new county.
In 1853, Haywood ran for governor and lost by a narrow margin. A founder of
the Ocean County Republican Party, he was a delegate to the Republicans’
first national convention in 1856.
Haywood was born on Dec. 9, 1798, in West Creek.
Trained by his father to be a blacksmith, he preferred to read. Tall and
lanky, he was an eloquent speaker.
Haywood married Lydia Pharo in 1821 and they had eight children. After her
death in 1842, he married her niece, Mary Ann Pharo, with whom he had four
daughters.
As a young man, Haywood volunteered to rescue shipwreck victims and to
conduct funerals for and bury those who did not survive. Appalled by the
loss of life, he joined with William Newell, a member of Congress, to secure
support for legislation to establish the Life Saving Service, which later
became the Coast Guard.
He helped to build the West Creek Methodist Church, was a trustee of the
church, and served as its pastor for 40 years.
Haywood died on May 29, 1865, and is buried in West Creek Cemetery.
By MARY ALLSOPP
Mary Allsopp is a retired Brick school teacher and a volunteer at the Ocean
County Historical Society.
Ocean County History
by Pauline S. Miller, County Historian
On Feb. 15, 1850, Ocean County came into being. It was then comprised of the
townships of Brick, Toms River, Jackson, Plumsted, Stafford, and Union
(Barnegat), which, in the aggregate, had previously been the portion of Monmouth
County lying south of the Manasquan River. In 1891, Little Egg Harbor merged
into the new political subdivision. Over time, this vast geographic area was
carved into the 33 municipalities.
The 1850 census pegged Ocean County's population at 10,043 residents. One
hundred years later it had reached 56,622. Today, as a result of unprecedented
growth in the past three decades, more than 560,000 people call Ocean County
home.
Ocean County is the second largest county in the state containing 638 square
miles of pine barrens and barrier islands and a 45-mile coastline along the
Atlantic Ocean.
Toms River was selected as the "seat" of the new County government. On May 8,
1850, the first Board of Chosen Freeholders, consisting of two representatives
from each of the six original townships, selected insignia to represent the
public officials of the time. The sloop, schooner, and steamboat are still the
official seals of the Freeholders, County Clerk, and Surrogate, respectively.
The choice of these symbols reflects the rich maritime tradition of the area.
COURTHOUSE
One of the first tasks of the Freeholders was to construct a courthouse and a
jail. By September of 1851, the new "Greek Revival" style Courthouse was serving
the public’s needs. It contained a large second floor courtroom, with ancillary
offices on the first floor. The adjoining County Jail, containing 10 cells, was
of compatible architecture. The Sheriff's residence, built in the courtyard
behind the courthouse, remains to this day. Located in the shadow of the present
correctional facility, the original jail rarely housed more than two prisoners
at a time, with an annual average of 12 prisoners.
Understandably, the Courthouse quickly became a gathering point for social
meetings, political rallies and conventions, as well as a mustering center
during the Civil War. Members of Company F, #14 New Jersey Volunteers, drilled
on the grounds of the Courthouse before marching off to war.
EARLIER DAYS
Most historians agree that the Lenni Lenape Indians were the first inhabitants
of the Ocean County area. Annually, they migrated from as far away as Delaware
to enjoy the shore and its plentiful food supply. During the Dutch explorations
off the New Jersey coast by Captain Cornelius Hendrickson (1614-1616), Barnegat
Bay was discovered and charted. Captain Hendrickson sailed through Barnegat
Inlet into the bay on a small Dutch ship called the "Onrest" from which he
charted the Toms River, the forks of Forked River, and Great Bay.
By the end of the 17th century, whalers were at work off the coast. This opened
the region to settlement. Soon saw and grist mills flourished along the streams
and rivers leading into the bay.
The whalers, turned smugglers in the first half of the 18th century, were the
grandfathers and fathers of the privateers during the American Revolution. Ocean
County endured 23 Loyalist and British attacks on its saltworks, as well as
other skirmishes during the Revolution. There were 77 naval battles off the
coast. The largest British naval attack took place in Great Bay in 1778,
together with a skirmish against Count Pulaski's troops east of Tuckerton. This
all culminated in an attack on Toms River on March 24, 1782 when the British
destroyed the village, and killed or captured defending militiamen, including
Captain Joshua Huddy, who was hanged on April 12, 1782.
CHANGES
As seafaring men sought peaceful pursuits after the Revolution, new industries
evolved in the Pine Barrens. Forges and furnaces were built to smelt the local
bog ore into pig iron. Thousands of acres of trees were cut to produce charcoal.
Commercial fishing and boat building along the coastal region became primary
industries in this fledgling county. By the mid-1850s, “cranberrying” and
farming had expanded in the rural regions of the county.
The heavy loss of life from immigrant ships wrecked along the coast during the
19th century prompted Congress, led by Dr. William Newell of Manahawkin, to
appropriate funding for the construction of lifesaving stations. Within a few
years, the first station, built in 1849, was joined by many more, every five
miles along the shore. This early Lifesaving Service became the forerunner to
the United States Coast Guard Service founded in 1915. Ocean County's extensive
water resources, boardwalks, parks, and golf courses offer a special place where
recreation and tourism flourish.
More than 136,000 senior citizens, almost one-fourth of the County’s population,
call Ocean County home.
This friendly, family-oriented County, located along the beautiful Atlantic
coast, continues to be among New Jersey’s fastest growing counties.
Ocean County New Jersey
Local Government Information.
Airpark, Robert
J. Miller
Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program
Childrens InterAgency
Coordinating Council
Clerk Of The Board of
Freeholders
Commission On
Exploited and Missing Children
Community Development Block Grants
and Programs (CDBG)
Consumer Affairs
Department
County Clerk's Office
College, Ocean County
County Connection
Cultural and Heritage
Election Board
Employee
Relations
Energy Council, County
Engineering
Department
Extension Service, Rutgers Cooperative
Fair Housing Assistance
Fire and First
Aid Training Center
Fishing Loan Advisory Committee
Health Department
Historical Society (Ocean
County Museums)
Housing Advisory Committee
Human Services
Human Services Advisory
Council
Individuals With
Disabilities
Information Technology
Jail,
County/Department Of Corrections
Juvenile Services
Library System
Mental Health Board
Mosquito Extermination Commission
One Stop Center
For Senior Services
Parks and Recreation
P.I.C. Job Training and Employment Information
Pinelands Commission, New Jersey
Printing and
Graphics Department
Prosecutor's Office
Purchasing Department
Risk
Management Division
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service
Security Department
Ocean County
Transportation Advisory Committee for Senior Citizens and Persons with
Disabilities
Senior Services
Sheriff's Department
Sheriff's Department -
Judicial Function
Sheriff's
Department - Communications and Operations
Sheriff's Department -
Special Projects
Sheriff's Department -
Criminal Investigation Unit
Sheriff's Department -
Warrants/Criminal Identification Bureau
Sheriff's Department
- Emergency Services
Sheriff's Department -
Office of the Fire Marshal
Sheriff's Department -
Bureau of Fire Safety
Sheriff's Department - Police Academy
Social Services, Board Of
Solid Waste Management
Status Of Women, Advisory
Commission
Superintendent Of Schools
Surrogate's Court
Tax Board
Tourism
Transportation Advisory Board
Transportation Services
Department - Ocean Ride
Utilities Authority
Veterans Service
Bureau
Vocational-Technical School
Weights and Measures
Workforce Investment Board
BARNEGAT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
P.O. Box 1112, Barnegat, N.J. 08005-1112
Phone: (609) 698-1618 Fax: (609) 698-7499
Web Site:
www.Barnegatchamber.com BRICK
TOWNSHIP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
270 Chambers Bridge Road, Brick, N.J. 08723
Phone: (732) 477-4949 Fax: (732) 477-5788
E-Mail Address:
info@brickchamber.com
Web Site:
www.brickchamber.com JACKSON
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
1021 W. Commodore Boulevard
Jackson, N.J. 08527
Phone: (732) 833-0005 Fax: (732) 833-7033
Web Site:
www.jacksonchamber.com
Email:
jcinfo@jacksonchamber.com
LAKEWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
395 Route 70 West, Suite 125
Lakewood, N.J. 08701
Phone: (732) 363-0012 Fax: (732) 367-4453
Web Site:
www.myLakewoodChamber.com
Email Address:
Maureen@myLakewoodChamber.com
POINT PLEASANT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
2810 Bridge Ave., Pt. Pleasant, N.J. 08742
Phone: (732) 295-8850 Fax: (732) 295-8990
Web Site:
www.pointpleasantchamber.com
E-Mail Address:
Pntchamber@aol.com
POINT PLEASANT BEACH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
517A Arnold Avenue, Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. 08742
Phone: (732) 899-2424 Fax: (732) 899-0103
Web Site:
www.pointchamber.com
Email Address:
info@pointpleasantbeachnj.com
SOUTHERN OCEAN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
265 West 9th Street, Ship Bottom, N.J. 08008
Phone: (609) 494-7211 or 1 (800) 292-6372 Fax: (609) 494-5807
E-Mail Address:
info@sochamber.com
Web Site:
www.visitlbiregion.com TOMS
RIVER-OCEAN COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
1200 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, N.J. 08753
Phone: (732) 349-0220 Fax: (732) 349-1252
Web Site:
www.oc-chamber.com
E-Mail Address:
info@oc-chamber.com |
